Impact of Kinesio taping application on pelvic girdle pain in pregnant women

Abstract

Background: Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is a common musculoskeletal complaint during pregnancy and is often confused with low back pain due to overlapping clinical features. Hormonal, biomechanical, and postural changes during pregnancy contribute to its development and may negatively affect functional ability and quality of life. Objective: To investigate the effect of Kinesio taping on pain intensity, pain pressure threshold, and functional disability in pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain. Methods: Seventy-two pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain, aged 18–36 years, were recruited from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Dar El-Sallam General Hospital, Cairo, Egypt. Participants were randomly assigned into three equal groups. Group A received core exercises only, Group B received Kinesio taping in addition to core exercises, and Group C received placebo taping with core exercises. Tape was applied for 5 days per week over two consecutive weeks. Outcome measures included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), pressure algometer, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Assessments were conducted at baseline, after 5 days, and after 10 days. Results: Significant improvements were observed within all groups in pain intensity, pain pressure threshold, and functional disability after treatment compared with baseline (p = 0.001). Group B showed slightly greater percentage improvement in pain intensity (37.5%) compared to Group A (31%) and Group C (34.4%). A similar trend was observed in functional disability (ODI), with improvements of 26%, 22%, and 21% for Groups B, A, and C, respectively. However, no statistically significant differences were found between the three groups in any outcome measures at post-treatment assessments (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Although all groups demonstrated significant improvement over time, Kinesio taping did not provide additional benefit compared to core exercise alone or placebo taping. Therefore, its use may be considered as an adjunctive supportive modality rather than a superior treatment approach